Brisbane kept themselves in the finals hunt when the Lions overcame the Western Bulldogs by 11 points in a see-sawing clash at the Gabba. The Bulldogs led for most of the night, but the margin was cut to 6 points at the last change; and not long after the restart, quick goals to Rhan Hooper and Luke Power put the Lions in front.The Bulldogs weren't beaten yet and regained the lead, but the Lions had taken control of the initiative; and with a vocal home crowd spurring them on, went on to kick the final 3 goals of the game to take out the match. The result keeps Brisbane in the finals race, but effectiively ends the Bulldogs' chances of a top-2 finish.Brisbane 3.3 6.4 8.8 13.12 (90)Western Bulldogs 4.4 7.8 8.14 10.19 (79)Goals : Brisbane -: Brown 3, Hooper 3, Bradshaw 2, Copeland, Dalziell, Power, Rischitelli, Patfull Bulldogs - Giansiracusa 3, Johnson 2, Griffen, Gilbee, Murphy, Harbrow, Eagleton.Best : Brisbane - Dalziell, Patfull, Macdonald, Black, McGrath. Bulldogs - Cooney, Eagleton, Lake, Boyd, Gilbee, Cross.Injuries : Brisbane - Nil. Bulldogs - Nil.Reports - Nil. Umpires - McBurney, Farmer, Chamberlain.Crowd - 27,315 at the Gabba.

The AFL's move to create a new team in West Sydney from 2012 received a boost when the biggest attendance at any sporting event for the weekend was for an AFL game at Homebush. 44,595 came to ANZ Stadium to see Sydney take on Geelong.They were to witness a Geelong side putting on an exhibition of near-perfect football, going through their paces with effortless ease and with the best form and confidence that the assurance of top spot on the ladder could give them. Brett Kirk put the opening goal on the board for the Swans, but it took just 10 minutes for the Cats to run through 6 goals and set themselves up for the remainder of the contest.Gary Ablett, Jimmy Bartel and Joel Corey were in sensational touch for the Cats, Ablett and Shannon Byrnes and Tom Longeran each finishing with 3 goals. For the Swans, Barry Hall kicked 5, but was starved of opportunies as the Cats were far too good on the night.Click here to see Harboursport's photo gallery from this game.Geelong 7.4 9.8 16.10 20.13 (133)Sydney 4.1 6.4 8.5 14.10 (94)Geelong - S Byrnes 3, G Ablett 3, T Lonergan 3, S Johnson 2, C Mooney 2, T Varcoe 2, M Stokes, B Prismall, J Bartel, R Gamble, B Ottens. Goals : Sydney - B Hall 5, J Moore 2, J McVeigh 2, A Goodes 2, B Kirk, M Mattner, C Bird.Best : Geelong - G Ablett, J Corey, J Bartel, C Mooney, T Lonergan, T Varcoe. Sydney - B Hall, T Kennelly, P Bevan, J Moore, M Mattner, C Bird.Injuries : Geelong - M Scarlett (back) replaced by T Varcoe in selected side. Sydney - L Barry (hamstring) replaced by N Malceski in selected side.Reports - Nil. Umpires - C Donlon, H Kennedy, S Ryan.Crowd - 44,950 at ANZ Stadium.

One of the amazing upsets of the season took place in the early Sunday game when Richmond stunned Hawthorn by 39 points at the MCG. It was a result that guaranteed top spot for the Cats, ensuring that the Hawks could not catch them; but also a result that keeps Richmond in the hunt for a finals berth with just 2 weeks to go.With the Hawks looking stangely flat and out of sorts early, Richmond took advantage; with the Tigers racing out of the blocks to score the first 5 goals of the game. By half time the margin was out to 31 points, but a Hawthorn fightback late in the third quarter and early in the last threatened to see the Tigers' day turn to disappointment. Campbell Brown goaled twice and the margin was back to 15 points. For 5 nerve-wracking minutes the ball travelled from end to end, but the scoreless period came to an end when Brett Deledio marked just inside the 50m line and kicked truly to give the Tigers an important steadier. With the Hawthorn challenge over, the Tigers took out a merited and important 29-point victory.Richmond 5.2 10.5 13.6 16.9 (105)Hawthorn 2.5 4.10 7.15 10.16 (76)Goals : Richmond - Connors 3, Morton 3, Cotchin, Tuck, Bowden, Tambling, Edwards, White, Cartledge, Deledio, McMahon, Richardson. Hawthorn - Franklin 3, Brown 2, Lewis, Osborne, Rioli, Bateman, Williams.Best : Richmond - Richardson, Bowden, Deledio, Newman, Tuck, McMahon, Cotchin. Hawthorn - Sewell, Franklin, Lewis, Hodge, Bateman, Mitchell, Ladson.Injuries : Richmond - Foley replaced in selected side by Polo. Hawthorn - Nil.Reports : Richmond - Simmonds for front on bump on Murphy in the first quarter. Hawthorn - Nil.Umpires - James, Nicholls, MollisonCrowd - 44,523 at MCG.

A devastating second quarter, in which they kicked 8 goals to 3, propelled the Kangaroos to their 6th straight victory and into the top 4 while ending Carlton's hopes of returning to the finals for the first time since 2001. The Blues had led by a goal at the first change, but by half time the margin in favour of North had gone to 26 points. The Kangaroos went on with the job in the second half to win the match by 51 points.Veteran Brent Harvey was again in sensational touch, while Shannon Grant also picked up plenty of the ball. Grant and Harvey, along with David Hale and Leigh Harding, each contributed 3 goals for the Kangaroos. For Carlton, Brendan Fevola kicked 6.Kangaroos 5.2 13.5 17.8 22.9 (141)Carlton 6.2 9.3 10.5 14.6 (90)Goals : Kangaroos - Grant 3, Hale 3, Harding 3, Harvey 3, Hansen 2, Jones 2, Thomas 2, Brown, McMahon, Petrie, Rawlings. Carlton - Fevola 6, Cloke 2, Fisher 2, Judd, Kreuzer, Russell, Scotland.Best : Kangaroos - Harvey, Grant, Hale, Firrito, Harris, Pratt, Harding, Jones, Rawlings. Carlton - Judd, Fevola, Carrazzo, Murphy, Walker.Injuries : Kangaroos - Nil. Carlton - Nil.Reports : Carlton - Wiggins for charging Harding in the second quarter.Umpires - Vozzo, Meredith, Jeffrey.Crowd - 43,406 at Telstra Dome.

St Kilda maintained their grip on a finals position with a 43-point win over Fremantle at Subiaco in the Sunday twilight game. It was a burst during the premiership quarter that made the difference, with the Saints turning a 4-point half time deficit into a 28-point lead at the last change; then going on with the job in the last quarter with a 4 goals to 1 term.It was a disappointing fadeout from Fremantle, who have had a disappointing season but who came into the game looking full of desperation to cause an upset and caused the Saints some worrying moments early. But after the break, the Saints hit their straps and there was no looking back. Nick Riewoldt kicked 5 for the Saints and Adam Schneider 4, while Lenny Hayes and Leigh Montagna were prominent around the ground.St Kilda 3.5 6.6 13.9 17.10 (112)Fremantle 4.3 7.4 8.11 9.15 (69)Goals : St Kilda - Riewoldt 5, Schneider 4, Milne 3, Eddy, Koschitzke, Harvey, Clarke, Gilbert. Fremantle -Campbell 3, Pavlich 3, McPharlin, Duffield, MundyBest : St Kilda - Riewoldt, Fisher, Hayes, Montagna, Goddard, Schneider, King. Fremantle - Palmer, Grover, Michael Johnson, Ibbotson, Farmer, Crowley.Injuries : St Kilda - Milne (cheekbone). Fremantle - Browne (corked thigh).Reports - Nil. Umpires - Schmitt, Hendrie, McInerney.Crowd - 34,014 at Subiaco Oval

It took over a half for Collingwood to shake off the challenge from a determined Port Adelaide, but the Magpies prevailed to take out a hard-fought 33-point win at AAMI Stadium. In both the first and second quarters, Collingwood got out to a 3-goal lead only for Port to haul them in and remain within striking distance. And when Shaun Burgoyne, who was playing his best game all season, set up Tony Thustans early in the third term, the Power were in front.But Collingwood lifted the intensity, running through the next 4 goals. But this time there was to be no Port fightback late in the quarter, only a solitary goal which would be the last of the match. Collingwood would go on to kick the only 3 goals of the final quarter to blow the margin out. Travis Cloke kicked 4 for the Magpies, while Leon Davis recorded over 30 possessions in a best-on-ground performance.Collingwood 5.3 9.6 13.7 16.10 (106)Port Adelaide 4.5 8.5 10.12 10.15 (75)Goals : Collingwood - Cloke 4, Swan 3, Anthony 2, Fraser, Thomas, Clarke, Maxwell, Cook, Davis, McCarthy. Port Adelaide - Ebert 2, Thurstans 2, Surjan, Pearce, M Westhoff, Gray, Cassisi, K Cornes.Best : Collingwood - Davis, Swan, Cloke, Maxwell, Clarke, Lockyer, O’Bree. Port Adelaide - S Burgoyne, Cassisi, Lade, Surjan, Boak, Gray.Injuries : Collingwood - Anthony (shoulder/head), Thomas (left knee). Port Adelaide - Motlop (adductor) replaced in selected side by Gray, Brogan (shoulder) replaced in selected side by Thurstans.Reports - Nil. Umpires - Stevic, McLaren, Wenn.Crowd - 23,694 at AAMI Stadium.

The Saturday afternoon game at the MCG was a clash between the bottom 2 teams, and it lived up to its lack of promise; with skill errors and poor judgement of both sides prominent in a match played before a small crowd.West Coast kicked the first two goals, but would only score another 3 for the game. With co-captains Cameron Bruce and James McDonald accumulating plenty of possession, Melbourne had the better of play around the ground, but struggled to convert their dominance into scoreboard pressure; and the Demons would not his the lead until late in the second term.With 3 goals in each of the last 2 quarters, Melbourne did enough to win, leaving themselves only one game behind West Coast and with the Eagles having not avoided their first wooden spoon yet. It wasn't a convincing performance, but one which gives the Demons some hope for the future.Melbourne 1.3 5.7 8.12 11.13 (79)West Coast 2.2 4.5 5.10 5.15 (45)Goals : Melbourne - Bruce 2, Newton 2, Bartram, Bate, Green, P. Johnson, Miller, Morton, Sylvia. West Coast -McKinley 2, Armstrong, LeCras, LynchBest : Melbourne - Bruce, Wheatley, Morton, Green, McDonald, Whelan, Buckley, Jones. West Coast - Armstrong, Cox, Embley, MackenzieInjuries : Melbourne - Nil. West Coast - Wilkes (neck).Reports - Nil. Umpires - Ryan, Ellis, K. NichollsCrowd - 17,958 at MCG.

Adelaide had never beaten Essendon in Melbourne, but that hoodoo was broken in style when the Crows dominated play all day to record a 56-point victory and ensure they would play finals football in 2008.Essendon captain Matthew Lloyd was playing his 250th game, but it wasn't a milestone game to remember. Although Lloyd kicked 3 goals, his influence on the game was minimal, as was the case for too many of his team-mates. In contrast, Adelaide were having a day out and possibly should have won by more. Nick Gill showed himself as having potential with a 5-goal haul, while Brad Symes and Scott Thompson were getting plenty of the football.